Introduction
On September 3 at 5:00 PM, the Odesa Opera will present the concert program NEW UKRAINIAN MUSIC — this is an event from the series "New Music of Ukraine," performed without intermission; according to the official poster, it lasts 1 hour 20 minutes. This is a case where you can come for the live energy of young and already recognized vocalists, hear familiar opera numbers in one evening, and not plan for a long theatrical marathon afterwards.
If you want something other than "heavy" opera for the entire evening, but a compact, rich concert in a very beautiful space, this event seems successful for both fans of classical vocals and those who simply love to check how the opera scene sounds in a young, fresh format.
About the Event
On the official page of the theater, the concert is presented as a program from the series "New Music of Ukraine," and in the repertoire description, it is indicated that this is a concert of the laureates of the "Odesa Music Olymp" competition in the nomination "Classical Vocal." The format here is not a theatrical performance, but rather a concert selection of numbers, so in the evening, you do not follow a continuous plot, but listen to a sequence of solo and ensemble performances.
The language of the event is not defined as a separate "stage language," but the program will feature arias and vocal numbers in Italian, French, and English, so the evening will be quite multilingual in terms of musical material. This is convenient even for those who are not avid opera viewers: in such programs, the main thing is not memorizing the text but feeling the voice, style, and live stage.
The venue for the event is the Odesa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, located at Theater Lane, 1. This is one of the most recognizable cultural addresses in the city, so the location itself adds a special mood to the evening.
Plot and Mood
Since this is a concert and not a performance, there is no single overarching plot. However, there is another interesting aspect: the program is assembled to provide various voices, characters, and operatic emotions in one evening — from lyrical numbers to more spectacular virtuosic arias.
The program includes, in particular, fragments from Vivaldi, Paisiello, Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Donizetti, Gounod, Catalani, Gluck, and Britten. This means the evening promises to be diverse: tenderness, drama, light playfulness, and that same grand operatic gesture for which people attend classical vocal performances can coexist.
In short, this is not about "watching a story from beginning to end," but rather listening to a selection of numbers where each appearance on stage works as a separate little event. For the listener, this is a good format: you do not tire from a long plot but receive a fairly dense musical program.
Production
The artistic director of the project is Asmik Khachatryan, the director is Mykola Reshetnyov, and the program is hosted by Elvira Palamarchuk, a musicologist-lecturer. This adds not only a concert but also an educational tone to the evening: it seems that the focus is not just on performances but also on making it easier for the listener to understand what they are hearing.
Among the participants are soloists from Odesa, Kyiv, Dnipro, Vasylkiv, and Beijing, as well as the vocal ensemble "Sunny Rays" from Kharkiv. The program features names of laureates of various awards, students from music academies, and young performers, so the concert looks like a snapshot of a very lively, trained, yet not "frozen" vocal scene.
Among the numbers in the program are arias and vocal scenes, including "Prayer to the Pure One," an aria from "Arsilda, Queen of Ponto," "Chi vuol la zingarella," "O, don fatale," "Si, de’ corsari il fulmine," the waltz of Musetta from "La Bohème," the Toreador's couplets, Valli's aria, "O del mio dolce ardor," "Quel guardo il cavaliere," Juliet's waltz, and a fragment from Britten's Christmas songs. This is a set where classical music lovers will definitely find something to latch onto.
How to Get There, Duration, and Intermissions
The address of the theater is Theater Lane, 1, Odesa. For the city route, this is a central location with a very recognizable landmark: if you have already been near the Odesa Opera, finding the venue will not be difficult; if not, just orient yourself to the theater as one of the main attractions in the center.
From the official page of the theater, it is known that the duration of the concert is 1 hour 20 minutes, and it is indicated in the repertoire as an event without intermission. This means that the evening will be quite compact: you come, settle in, listen to a rich program — and without a long break, you can already plan dinner or a walk after the performance.
If you are going for the first time, it is worth allowing a bit of extra time for entry and finding a seat in the hall, especially in a popular theater in the city center. There will be no breaks during the concert, so you don’t want to be late: such listening is better perceived from the first minutes.
Prices and Who It's For
On the ticket sales page, the starting price is indicated as from 250 UAH. This does not seem like an inaccessible evening, especially considering the location itself and the format in one of the main theaters of Odesa.
In terms of mood, the event is well-suited for a date if you want a beautiful evening without excessive formality, as well as for a group of friends who love music and are open to hearing young vocalists in a large opera hall. For a family outing, this can also work if there is already an interest in classical music; however, if someone does not like classical singing at all, they might find the evening too "concert-like" and not theatrical enough.
However, this is precisely the charm of such a program: it does not require the viewer to be fully prepared or to know the plot, but it also does not reduce to background sound. This is a format for those who want to hear different voices and feel the live stage without hours of immersion.
Tips for the Audience
It’s better to arrive a little earlier to calmly enter the hall and have time to tune in for the evening. For the Odesa Opera, neat smart casual or simply tidy festive clothing without excessive formality is appropriate — comfort is more important than pomp here.
Since the concert lasts a short time and without intermission, it’s worth preparing water, your phone, and your ticket in advance so as not to be distracted during the beginning. If you plan to have dinner after the event, this is just a convenient option: the music will finish not too late, and the evening can continue at your own pace.
Do you prefer a compact concert without an intermission, or do you enjoy when an evening at the opera stretches longer and gives time for a pause between musical impressions?